Tobacco-stripping machine.



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Pmnted Nov. sa, |902.

J. A; HUTCHESON.

TOBACCO STRIPPING MACHINE.

(Application led July 11, 1902.\

5 Sheets-Shei 2.

(No Model.)

,OOOOOOGOOOOOGOOO l lll i Patented Nov. I8, 1902. J. A. HUTCHESON.

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5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Modeb) 6l. BQ/0x 16a ATTORNEY Yll Il i. MN

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WIW ESSES:

no., wnsnmumu n c No. 7|3,886. Patented Nov. IB. |902.

J. A. HUTCHESON.

TDBAGGO STRIPPING MACHINE.

(Application lad July 11. 1902.| l Y (No Nudel.) 5Sheets-Sheet 4.

W ITN ESSES 2No. mss. Patented Nov. la, |902.

\.|. A. HuTcHEsoN.

TOBACCO STBIPPING MACHINE.

(Application filed July 11, 1902.

V5 Sheets-Sheei 5.

Wem. .ggf WF1@- wlTNEssEs: 93 INVENTOR M@ W15' T I Lfd., y 0 ATTORNEYllamen @rares artnr JAMES A. HUTCHESON, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNORTO UNITED STATES TOBACCO STEMMING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,886, dated November18, 1902.

Application filed July 11, 1902. Serial No. 115,162. (No model.)

To all 11j/1,0m may concern.-

Beit known that I, J AMES A. HU'rcHnsoN, citizen of the United States,residing at Richmond, Henrico county, Virginia, have inventedanew anduseful Improvement in Tobacco- Stripping Machines, of which thefollowingis a specification.

Theinvention relates toa machine for stripping the leaf portion of atobacco-leaf from the stem.

The invention consists in the combination, broadly, in such amachine,ofa leaf-stripping device, a leaf-clamping device, and means formoving said clamping device away from said stripping device during theoperation of said stripping device upon the leaf; also, in means formoving said clamping device toward and then from said stripping device;also, in means for moving said clamping device while retaining the leafbetween the stripping-rolls; also, in means for simultaneously cuttingthe leaffrom the stem during its movement of translation while clampedas aforesaid; also, in the construction whereby the leaves maybe guidedin parallel columns to the stripping devices; also, in' the constructionwhereby the movement of said leaves to said stripping device isintermittently arrested; also, in the various adjustments described, andalso in the various combinations and instrumentalities more particularlyset forth in the claims. p

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure l is a plan View. Fig, 2 is avertical section ou the line a' :fr: of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa verticalsection on the line 1/'y of Fig. 2. Fig. is an enlarged detail view ofthe device for intermittently opening the feed-gate. Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of the same, showingalso the clamping device on thesprocket-chains. Fig. G is an enlarged cross-section showingstrippingrolls, clamping device, and cams forv separating said rolls.Fig. 7 is an elevation of a pair of the feed-rolls. Fig. 8 is a detailedView ofa portion of the inner side ofthe side plates, showing theopenings for permitting play of the stripping-roll shafts and the mannerin which said shafts pass through the guideplates for thesprocket-chains, said figure beis a plan view of the feed-table.

elevation of the front end thereof, and Fig. 12 a side elevation. Fig.13 is an end view of one of the guide-channels for the sprocketchainswhich carry the clamping devices. Fig. 14 is a front View of the same.Fig. 15 represents one of tho chain-adjusting presserbars separately.

Similar numbers of reference indicate like parts.

The frame of the machine consists of the side plates 1 2, supported onstandards 3 and connected by transverse bars 1.

The feed-able and leaf-controlling device- The function of thecontrolling device is to arrest intermittently the movement of theleaves to the clamping and drawing-in device. Figs. 10, 11, and 12 showthe feed-table 5, which is supported on the side plates by brackets 6.Said table may be formed, as shown, with a plurality' of channels 7, ofpreferably V-shaped cross-section, and in said channels, near thedelivery end, are openings 8. Extending transversely beneath thefeedtable is a shaft f), Fig. 5, carrying rolls 10, each roll having aV-shaped circumferential groove substantiallyconforming to the shape o'tthe il-shaped channels in the feed-table 7. The several rolls 10 comebelow the openings 8, respectively. Above the feed-table is a shaft 11,carrying a plurality of double-beveled rolls 12, which correspond to thelower rolls 10 and meet said lower rolls through the openings S in thefeed-table, as shown in Fig. 5. The inner end of the feed-table isbeveled, as shown at 13, Fig. 12, and is provided with a hinged gate 14,having an arm 15, by raising which, as indicated by the arrow d, Fig. 5,the gate is opened.

The operation of the above-described parts is as follows: The leaves tobe stripped being placed butt-end foremost in the channels 7 of thefeed-table are moved onward by hand until they come between the rolls 10and 12. The lower roll-shaft 10 is driven by a sprocketchain 94, whichpasses over sprocket-Wheels respectively on said roll-shaft and theshaft The upper feed-rolls are rotated by contact with the lower rollsand serve as presserrolls upon the leaves. If the gate 14 is closed, theonward movement of said leaves will thereby be impeded; but if by meanshereinafter to be explained the gateis intermittently IOO opened theleaves will then pass onward in as many separate columns as there arechannels 7 in the feed-table. The feed-rolls 10 and 12 may be omitted,in which case the leaves will continue to be fed onward by hand untilthey reach the gate, which intermittently opens to permit their passagein the manner already described.

The clamping and drawing n device.- The function of this device is,first, to clamp and so hold the incoming leaves, and, second, while soholding them to carry them between the stripping-rolls, which areseparated for that purpose. After the stripping-rolls begin to act uponthe leaves the clamping device, still continuing its onward movement,carries forward the stem at a speed conforming to the rate at which thestripping-rolls cut or abrade the leaf portion away from it. Thestripped stem is finally released by the separation of the parts whichhold it. The clamping device consists of two metal bars 16 17, Figs. 5and 6, channeled over the middle portion of their length and in saidchannels receiving bars 18 19, of rubber or other elastic material. Bar16 is carried at its ends by cam-plates 2O 2l and bar 17 at its ends bysimilar cam-plates 22. On the rear side of each cam-plate are pins 24,which carry rollers 23. To the pins 24 are connected the ends of thesprocket chains 26 27 28 29, hereinafter described. There may be, ashere shown, a plurality of pairs of drawing-in bars, with camplatessimilarly arranged and connected to the sprocket-chains. A second pair,distant half the length of the sprocket-chain from the first pair, isshown at 30, Fig. 2. There are four sprocket-chains 26 27 28 29,carrying the clampingbars,two of said chains being on each side of themachine. Thus on one side the upper sprocket-chain 26, Fig. 2, passesover the sprocket-wheels 3l 32 and the lower sprocketchain 27 passesover the sprocket-wheels 33 34. On the other side the uppersprocket-chain 28, Fig.1,passes overthe sprocket-wheels 35 36 and thelower sprocket-chain 29 over the sprocketw'heel 37 and a rear Wheel,(not shown, but parallel to sprocket-wheel 34.) The severalsprocket-wheels are carried on shafts j ournaled in the side plates l 2,as follows: front upper sprocket-wheels 31 35 on shaft 38, rear uppersprocket-wheels 32 36 on shaft 39, front lower sprocket-wheels 33 37 onshaft 40, and rear lower sprocket-wheel 34 and its parallel wheel (notshown) on shaft 41. If now it be assumed that motion is imparted to theupper and lower sprocket-chains, so that their adjacent parallelportions will move in the same direction from front to rear of themachine, then it will be evident that the pair of clamping-bars 16 17,as indicated by the arrows in Fig. A5, will come together just in rearof the feed-gate 14. As this takes placca roller 23, Fig. 4, on a lowercam-plate strikes the gatearm l5, raises it, and so lifts the gate for ashort distance, so that the tobacco-leaves may now be delivered by theaction of the feedl hesse rolls or by the hand of the operator, if thefeed-rolls be omitted, to the pair of clampingbars until said rollerruns under the arm 15 and permits the gate to close by gravity. It ishere to be noted that with the table constructed as described theleaves, whether fed by the feed-rolls or by hand, are delivered to theclamping-bars in parallel columns and intermittently-that is to say, theleaves in each channel of the feed-table advance as a separate column,the channel thus serving as a guide for the leaves in it, and themovement of this column is permitted or checked as the gate isintermittently opened and closed. The several columns of leaves are allsimultaneously grasped between theI clamping-bars, which now begin totravel in a rectilinear path from front to rear of the machine. While Ihere show a table having a series of guide-channels for the leaves, itis to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the use ofsuch a table in the present machine; but I may employ one without thechannels, in which case, of course, the leaves will not be guided inparallel coluvmns, as described.

The stripping device-There are two parallel cylindrical stripping-rolls42 43, each provided with a plurality of circumferential grooves 44,Figs. 1 and 3, and with transverse cutting edges in each groove. Thisconstruction of roll I do not herein claim, since it is fully set ont inLetters Patent No. 694,962, dated March 11, 1902, to Joseph Gr. Havens.The said grooves are each so located as to be in line with the channels7 of the feed-table, so that each column of leaves will be carried fromits particular guide-channel to the particular pair of grooves (upperand lower) in line therewith. It will therefore be observed that eachguide-channel, conjointly with the grooves on the stripping-rolls inline with it and with the transporting clamping bars grasping the columnof leaves delivered from that channel and carrying said leaves to saidpair of grooves in line, constitutes, substantially, a strippingapparatus for that column of leaves and that when there is a pluralityof such columns the whole machine becomes substantially a series ofparallel stripping-machines, which may be in any desired number, or, inother words, the whole machine may be augmented in transverse width topermit of any desired number of parallel advancing columns of leavesbeing simultaneously stripped. The stripping-rolls 42 43 are supportedin the following manner, the construction being the same at each end ofthe rolls: Secured on the inner face of the side plate 2 are upper andlower brackets 45 46, which carry forked slides 47 48. In said slidesare placed the end bearings 49 50 of the stripping-roll shafts. Aboveand below the slides, respectively, are the projections 51 52, whichreceive the setscrews 53 54, which screws abut against the helicalsprings 55 56, interposed between the sliding bearings 49 50, and serveto adjust IOO IIO

'the tension of said springs. From the foregoing it will be seen| thatthe stripping-roll shafts are therefore in yielding bearings, thebearing 49 being free to move upward and the bearing 50 to move downwardagainst the resistance of the springs. From Figs. 8 and 9 (in the latterfigure the bearings are broken away) it will also be seen that thestrippingroll shafts 57 58 extend through verticallyelongated slottedopenings (shown surrounding said shafts in Fig. 8) in the chainpresserbars, to be hereinafter described, and through similar slots 6l62 in the side plate 2, these openings permitting the separation of theshafts and stripping rolls, as already described. The object of thisseparation will be readily understood from Fig. 6. As the clamping-bars16 17 are carried rearward the pair of cam-plates on each end thereof isdrawn between the roll-shafts 57 58, so that the curved upper sides ofsaid plates, acting against said shafts, force said shafts asunder fromthe position indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 6, to that shown in fulllines, thus separating the stripping-rolls and allowing the butt-ends ofthe leaves held between the clam ping-bars to be carried between them.As the cam-plates move onward the rolls are forced together again by theaction of their springs. Each column of leaves now lies in its own pairof grooves and between the rolls, and the stripping action of the latterat once begins. The stripping-rolls are rotated, so that the teeththerein move while acting on the leaves in a direction opposite to thatof the movement of the clamping-bars which grasp the butts. The relativespeed of movement of bars and rolls is to be such as that the stem willbe carried onward ata rate corresponding to that of the cutting away ofits leaf portion by the action of the cuttingteeth. In other words,there should be the minimum of draft, or substantially no draft, on thestem, tending by tension to break it or tending forcibly to drag stemand leaf through the opening formed by the meeting of the pair ofgrooves, and so to tear leaf and stem apart. Such action usually resultsin breakage of the stem, especially if fine and tender leaves are used,and this it is my aim especially to avoid. That avoidance isaccomplished by the means arranged and operating as above described.After the stern has been stripped the clamping-bars still holding itcarry it to the rear of the machine, and then as their supportingsprocket chains pass over the wheels the clamping-bars are separated andthe stem released to fall to the iioor or to any suitable receptacleplaced to receive it. The stripped-leaf portion is thrown by the actionof the stripping-rolls toward the front of the machine and likewisefalls to the floor or to any suitable receptacle.

I will now describe the gearingand certain adjusting devices.

The gearing- The driving-pulley 63 is fast on a shaft 64, supported inhangers 65 under the side plates 1 and 2. Motion is transmitted to thefront sprocket-Wheel shafts 39 40 in the following manner: from gear 66on driving-shaft 64 to gear 67 on short shaft 68 in hanger 69 to gear 70on the lower sprocketwheel shaft 40, which gear engages with a gear 70on the upper shaft 39. Another gear 7l on the end of shaft 4 0 ontheother side of the machine also engages with gear 72 on the uppersprocketwheel shaft 39. The rear sprocket-wheel shafts are free to berotated by the sprocket-chains.

Motion is imparted to the stripping-rolls in the following manner:Directly above the driving-shaft 64 are two 'shafts 73 74, jonrnaled inthe side plates I and 2. On the end of the driving-shaft opposite tothat which carries the driving-pulley is fixed a gear 75, which engageswith gear 76 on the lower shaft 74, which gear 76 engages with a gear 76on the upper shaft 73. On the other end of shaft 74 is a gear 77, whichengages with a gear 78 on shaft 73. Shaft 74, Fig. 3, on thedrivingpulley side carries a sprocket-wheel 79, the chain 80 of whichpasses over a wheel on the lower roll-shaft, and so drives that shaft.Shaft 73 carries asprocket-wheel Sl, the chain S2 of which passes over awheel on the upper roll-shaft, and so drives that shaft. Bothstripping-rolls are therefore positively rotated and in the directionalready stated, while the sprocket-chains readily permit of said rollsbeing separated in the manner above described.

Adjusting devices-The rear sprocketwheel shafts 39 and 41 are mounted insliding bearings 83 at each end. Said bearings are received in slots 84in the side frames and are adjusted to move said shafts, and so totighten or slacken the sprocket-chains by means of set-screws 85,passing through fixed lugs 86. The particular object, however, of thisadjustment is to adapt the machine to different lengths of tobacco-leaf.It is obvious that the travel of the clamping device will depend uponthe length of the stem and that after it has moved rearward to bring thestripped stem clear of the stripping-rolls there is no need for furthertravel, and the stem may be released. Obviously this extent of traveldepends upon the length of the sprocket-chains carrying the clampingdevice and the distance between the front and rear sprocket-wheels. Bymeans of the aforesaid adjustment the rear wheelscan be brought to sucha distance from the front ones as will best suit the lengths of stemtreated, and the chains will of course be suitably shortened by removinglinks in the ordinary way. In order to maintain the parallelism oftheadjacent parts of the upper and lower sprocket-chains and to secureuniform clamping pressure of the clamping-bars upon the stem during thetravel of the latter, the following device is provided: On the innerside of each side plate is boltedaianged channel-plate 37, Figs. 13, 14.The outer faces of the flanges 88 of said plate are shouldered IOO IZO

to receive the movable plates 89 90. Said movable plates are secured tosaid ianges by screw-bolts 91, which pass through vertically-elongatedslots in said plates. Passing through the flanges are set-screws 92,which engage with the upper movable plate 89, and set-screws 93,engaging with the lower movable plate 90. The lower edge of plate 89comes directly above the lower portion of the upper sprocket-chain, andthe upper edge of plate 90 cornes directly below the upper portion ofthe lower sprocket-chain. By loosening the screws 91 either plate may bythe action of screws 92 or 93 be forced against the sprocket-chainadjacent to it, and in this way the portions of the pair of chains oneach side of the machine may be adjusted relatively to one another andalso kept in a rectilinear line. The channel-plates 87 are made insections, as indicated in Fig. 2, so that one or more of them may beremoved when the sprocket-wheels are brought nearer together, as abovedescribed, in order to shorten the travel of the clamping-bars whenrelatively short-stemmed leaves are treated.

This machine while adapted to the stripping .of tobacco-leaves of alllengths is more especially suited for operation on short leaves of fromsix to ten inches in length, and especially upon small and limber leavesof the sort commonly known as Virginia brights7 and used in cigarettes.The clamping of the short leaf once and for all without' passing it fromone holding device to another effects a material saving, sinceordinarily about two and one-fourth inches of stem remains untreated byreason of this necessary transference, while the shorter the stem ofcourse the greater the relative lossin unstripped portion.

I claiml. In a tobacco-stripping machine, a leafclamping device, meansfor imparting to said clamping device a movement of translation, meansfor simultaneously cutting the leaf portion from the stem and gearingsubstantially as set forth whereby the speed of onward movement of thestem is made substantially equal to the speed at which said cuttingmeans removes said leaf portion from the stem.

2. In a tobacco-stripping machine, a leafclamping device, means forimparting to said clamping device a rectilinear movement of translation,a pair of rotary coacting rolls having circumferential grooves andtransverse cutting edges therein and gearing substantially as set forthwhereby the tobaccoleaf entering between said rolls has its leaf portionremoved from the stem during said rectilinear movement of said clampingdevice and at a speed substantially equal to that of said movement.

3. In a tobacco-stripping machine, a pair of coacting leaf-strippingrolls and a pair of coacting drawing-in bars; the said bars moving in arectilinear path, and means for moving both of said rolls asunder inrelatively opposite directions to permit the passage of said barsbetween them, substantially as described.

4. In a tobacco-stripping machine, a pair of coacting leaf-strippingrolls, means for intermittently moving both of said rollsasunder inrelatively opposite directions, and a pair of coacting drawing-in barsmoving in a rectilinear path; the aforesaid parts being constructed andarranged so that a leaf on being grasped between said drawing-in bars isthereby carried between said stripping-rolls to be subjected to theaction thereof, and the stem transported away from said rolls,substantially as described.

5. In atobacco-stripping machine, a pair of coacting stripping-rolls andmeans for intermittently moving both of said rolls asunder in relativelyopposite directions, a leaf-clamping device, means for transporting saidclamping device between said rolls during their separation and forimparting to said clamping device a further movement of translationduring the action of said rolls upon said leaf, and gearingsubstantially as set forth; whereby the speed of said movement oftranslation is made substantially equal to the speed at which` saidstripping-rolls remove the leaf lportion from the stem.

6. In a tobacco-stripping machine, a leaffeeding device, a leaf-clampingdevice receiving the leaf from said feeding device, a leaf-strippingdevice, and means for moving said clamping device from said feedingdevice to said stripping device, substantially as described.

'7. In a tobacco-stripping machine, a leafclamping device, means forintermittently arresting the movement of the leaf to said clampingdevice, a leaf-stripping device, and means for moving said clampingdevice to said stripping device, substantially as described.

3. In a tobacco-stripping machine, a pair of coacting leaf-strippingrolls, means for intermittently separating said rolls, a pair ofcoacting drawing-in bars movingin a rectilinear path and passing betweensaid rolls when said rolls are separated, and a controlling devicegoverned by said bars for intermittently arresting the movement of theleaves in position to be grasped by said bars, substantially asdescribed.

9. In a tobacco-stripping machine, a pair of coacting leaf-strippingrolls, means for intermittently separating said rolls, a leaf-clampingdevice, a feeding mechanism constructed to convey leaves to saidclamping device and means for carrying said clamping device between saidrolls when separated and thereafter away from said rolls, substantiallyas described.

10. In a tobacco-stripping machine, a pair of coactingstripping-rolls,yielding bearings for said rolls, leaf-clamping bars,means for transporting said clamping-bars between said rolls, andassociated with each of said clamp- IOO rol;

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ingbars, a cam constructed to force said rolls asunder in oppositedirections during the passage of said clamping-bars between them,substantially as described.

1l. In a tobacco-stripping machine, a plurality of stripping devicesdisposed at intervals transversely the machine and means for guiding theleaves in separate columns respectively to each of said strippingdevices, substantially as described.

12. In a tobacco-stripping machine, a pair of coacting stripping-rolls,each roll having a plurality of circumferential bands of cuttingteeth,means for guiding the leaves in separate columns respectively to each ofsaid bands, substantially as described.

13. In a tobacco-stripping machine, a device timed and constructedintermittently to arrest the delivery of leaves to a clamping device, aclamping device timed and constructed to grasp said leaves at theiradvancing ends, a leaf-stripping device and means for conveying saidclamping device to said stripping device, substantially as described.

14E. In a tobacco-stripping machine, a plurality of stripping devicesdisposed at intervals transversely the machine, a feed-table havinglongitudinal channels registering respectively with said strippingdevices, and means for conveying the leaves from said channels to saidstripping devices, su bstantially as described.

15. In a tobacco-stripping machine, a plurality of stripping devicesdisposed at intervals transversely the machine, means for guiding theleaves in separate columns respectively to each of said strippingdevices, and means Afor intermittently arresting the movement of saidleaves, substantially as described.

1G. In a tobacco-stripping machine, a pair of coacting stripping-rolls,elastic bearings for each of said rolls, endless belts surrounding saidrolls respectively and having their contiguous portions parallel andextending in front and in rear of said rolls, means for causing travelof said belts, a pair of coacting drawing-in bars respectively carriedby said belts and a cam connected to each of said drawing-in bars andconstructed to force asunder said rolls on passing between them,substantially as described.

17. In a tobacco-stripping machine, means for intermittently arrestingthe delivery of leaves into the machine, a leaf-clamping de vicecontrolling said means and receiving said leaves, a stripping device,and means for moving said clamping device to convey the leaves to saidstripping device, substantially as described.

18. In a tobacco-stripping machine, a pair of coacting stripping-rolls,endless belts surrounding said rolls respectively, means for causingtravel of said belts, a pair of coacting drawing-in bars respectivelycarried by said belts, and guides for maintaining the contiguousparallel portions of said belts in definite relative position,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAS. A. HUTCHESON.

Witnesses:

J No. C. EASLEY, J oHN B. HARVIE.

